Polymers have for very long been an integral part of our everyday lives because of this that examples is available almost ubiquitously. We have an impact that leads us to imagine that polymers are only plastics useful for packaging, in household objects as well as making fibres, however this is only the tip from the iceberg.
Polymers are utilized in many applications you may not have thought much about. This web site enlightens you about the story behind polymers and the way it has evolved from the time for everyone several functions across quite a few industries.
Origin of polymer science
Humans took benefit from the flexibility of polymers for years and years as oils, tars, resins and gums. However, it had not been until the industrial revolution that the polymer industry began to develop. Actually, the birth of polymer science could possibly be traced time for the mid-nineteenth century. In the 1830s, Charles Goodyear developed the vulcanization method that transformed the sticky latex of natural rubber into a useful elastomer for tire use. In 1909, Leo Hendrik Baekeland developed a resin from two very common chemicals, phenol and formaldehyde. The response between both of these chemicals led the way to add mass to a resin, called Bakelite, named after him. It turned out this resin that served as a harbinger to numerous from the common polymers we use today. The phrase “polymer” comes from the Greek roots “poly” and “mer,” which put together means “many parts.” Polymeric substances consist of countless chemical units called monomers, that are gathered into large molecular chains consisting of thousands of atoms.
Classification of polymers
Judging by their origin, polymethyl methacrylate could be considered synthetic or natural polymers. Natural polymers are the types polymers that occur in nature and that that are isolated from plant and animal resources. Starch, cellulose, proteins, natural rubber etc. are a few instances of natural polymers. Though they may be processed to obtain the end product, because the basic material develops from a natural source, these polymers are referred to as natural polymers. Natural rubber originating from tree latex is essentially a polymer created from isoprene units having a portion of impurities within it.
In this context, biopolymers may also be significant. There is huge variety of biopolymers like polysaccharides, polyesters, and polyamides. They may be naturally produced by microorganisms. The genetic manipulation of microorganisms makes opportinity for enormous potential for the biotechnological output of biopolymers with tailored properties suitable for high-value medical application like tissue engineering and drug delivery.
Synthetic polymers, for their name indicates, are synthesized inside the laboratory or factory by way of a compilation of chemical reactions from low molecular weight compounds. In the functional viewpoint they are often classified into four main categories: thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers and synthetic fibres. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is but one such thermoplastic produced by the polymerization from the monomer, methyl methacrylate (MMA). PMMA is commonly called acrylic plastic and lends its properties to some number of consumer product applications. Being both a thermoplastic and transparent plastic, acrylic is utilized extensively inside the automotive industry in trunk release handles, master cylinder, and dashboard lighting. Consumer products which have a very constituent part of acrylic plastic include aquariums, motorcycle helmet lenses, paint, furniture, picture framing, and umbrella clamps, and the like.
A number of the other synthetic polymers we use within us include Nylons, utilized in fabrics and textiles, Teflon, utilized in non-stick pans and Polyvinyl Chloride, utilized in pipes.
As being a leading manufacturer of SUMIPEX® PMMA polymer, Sumitomo Chemical is pleased to work with you to understand its properties as a synthetic polymer. To learn more, find us here.
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